


The Death of a Lover

by RileySFS



Series: The Adventures of Cassandra Pentaghast and Regalyan D'Marcall [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Blood Mage no Seisen | Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:55:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25798531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RileySFS/pseuds/RileySFS
Summary: Cassandra Pentaghast learns of the death of her love, Regalyan D'Marcall. She also learns of something he was planning to do, but was killed before he got the chance. How will this affect the Seeker? Will she be able to continue on without him?Set a few days after the explosion at the Divine Conclave.
Relationships: Cassandra Pentaghast/Rylen, Regalyan D'Marcall/Cassandra Pentaghast
Series: The Adventures of Cassandra Pentaghast and Regalyan D'Marcall [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1871602
Kudos: 4





	The Death of a Lover

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second one-shot that is a companion to chapter 24 (real chapter 24; it's chapter 25 by AO3's standards) of my main WIP long-fic, This Shit is Weird: The Inquisitor Mina Lavellan Story. If you haven't already, I would highly recommend reading "The Scare" (the first work in this series) before reading this. You don't have to have read This Shit is Weird, but it will help. 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

“Any word yet?” Cassandra asks Leliana for what seems like the hundredth time. It had been a long day, and they are finally able to have some time to rest.

Leliana sighs and closes the door. “You might want to sit down,” she tells her friend.

At that, Cassandra knows they found him, and her heart drops. _Nononono! Maker, please don’t let it be true! I can’t lose him! It can’t be! It must be someone else!_

“I’m so sorry, Cass,” Leliana says sympathetically as she helps lower her friend to sit on her bed.

Cassandra looks at her fellow Hand then. “Did he…? Was he…?” She sighs. “No, don’t tell me.”

Leliana knows Cassandra is just in shock and denial, and she hopes what she’s about to give her will help her come to terms with it. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the rings she was just given: Galyan’s signet ring, and the engagement ring he was going to propose to the Seeker with as soon as the Conclave concluded, both of which slightly melted and misshapen. She takes Cassandra’s hand in hers and places them into her palm, closing her fingers over them. “I know you don’t want to believe it, but it’s really him.” She takes a deep breath and says the words that Cassandra had hoped she’d never have to hear: “He’s gone, Cass.”

Cassandra slowly opens her hand and immediately recognizes his signet ring. However, the second ring is one she doesn’t recognize. It is a different size than his signet ring, and almost looks feminine. _Was he…?_ Cassandra looks at Leliana as she holds it up in question.

Leliana nods. “He was going to propose to you, Cass,” she tells her friend sadly. “Got Justinia’s permission and everything.”

Cassandra is just barely able to keep her composure, for she knows if she breaks down, no one will likely be able to get her out of bed for days, possibly even weeks or months. “I see… Th—thank you for bringing these to me.”

Leliana knows Cassandra needs some time to process this, so she does what any friend would do: offer her support. “You’re welcome, Cass. Know that I’m here for you no matter what.”

Cassandra nods in understanding. “Thank you. For now, I think I’d like to get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”

“That it has,” Leliana says in agreement. She stands up. “Good night, Cass.”

“Good night, Leli,” Cassandra replies before placing the rings in her breast pocket and heading to bed.

**O0o0o0o**

The next morning, Cassandra wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. Not wanting to wake Leliana or Josephine up, she quietly puts her armor on and heads out into the Chantry. She goes into one of the corridors and kneels down to pray.

“‘The Light shall lead her safely Through the paths of this world, and into the next. For she who trusts in the Maker, fire is her water. As the moth sees light and goes toward flame, She should see fire and go towards Light. The Veil holds no uncertainty for her, And she will know no fear of death, for the Maker Shall be her beacon and her shield, her foundation and her sword.’”

During her prayer, she takes out the two rings Leliana had given her the night before and fiddles with them slightly. It takes all her strength for her to finish her prayer without breaking down. After she finishes the prayer, she stays there for several minutes in silence.

“Can’t sleep, Milady?” Rylen’s voice asks softly.

Cassandra looks up, startled. She sighs and stands up. “It’s been a long few days,” she admits. “So many dead…”

“What happened was horrible,” Rylen says in agreement.

Cassandra motions for Rylen to follow her to the makeshift War Room. “Has the prisoner shown any signs she’ll wake up soon?” she asks once the door is closed.

Rylen shakes his head. “Negative, Milady. Her mark continues to flare up ev’ry few minutes, and, even though she doesn’t wake up, she does seem to be in pain ev’ry time.”

Cassandra sighs. “I just hope she’ll be able to give us some answers when she does wake up, as Leliana didn’t find anything in her stuff.”

“Provided the mark doesn’t kill her before that happens,” Rylen says.

“Has that other elf said anything about whether we can do anything to wake her up faster, or at least reduce the pain? No one should have to die in pain, not even her.”

Once again, Rylen shakes his head. “He did put some sort of spell on the mark, but said that he wouldn’t recommend Silencin’ her, nor usin’ a Spell Purge on her.”

“Did he say why?” Cassandra asks.

“Besides the fact that she’s a mage, no, Milady, he did not,” Rylen replies.

Cassandra nods in understanding. “That could be catastrophic, I agree. Especially considering that we already have magic absorbing shackles on her.”

“I still don’t understand how the magic of the mark is gettin’ through,” Rylen says.

“It could be that the magic is way more powerful than any we have seen before,” Cassandra says. “If it was magic that created the Breach in the first place, I don’t see why the mark wouldn’t have a similar amount of power, since the two seem connected.”

Rylen nods in understanding and agreement before rubbing the back of his neck. “Forgive me, Milady, but I should prob’ly relieve Knight Lieutenant Jessica of her post soon.”

Cassandra chuckles slightly at the familiar gesture, for she has seen Commander Cullen do it several times, before dismissing him.

**O0o0o0o**

Later that morning, Cassandra gets word that Galyan’s body will be burned in that day’s funeral pyre, and where to go to see him to say her final good-byes if she wanted to. So, she goes when she gets a break from fighting the demons that continue to fall out of the Breach.

When she gets there, she is somewhat surprised that she is the only one, but she is also somewhat relieved that there wouldn’t be any witnesses. She goes over to the body that she instantly recognizes as Galyan’s and removes the sheet from his face, just to confirm that it is him. What she sees when she does, however, startles her. She can tell that it _is_ , in fact, Galyan, but his face is badly burned, and she has to fight back tears as she takes his hand in hers.

“‘Maker, my enemies are abundant,’” she prays softly, using every ounce of her willpower to maintain her composure. “‘Many are those who rise up against me. But my faith sustains me; I shall not fear the legion, Should they set themselves against me… In the long hours of the night When hope has abandoned me, I will see the stars and know Your Light remains… I have heard the sound A song in the stillness, The echo of Your voice, Calling creation to wake from its slumber… How can we know You? In the turning of the seasons, in life and death, In the empty space where our hearts Hunger for a forgotten face?... You have walked beside me Down the paths where a thousand arrows sought my flesh. You have stood with me when all others Have forsaken me… I have faced armies With You as my shield, And though I bear scars beyond counting, nothing Can break me except Your absence… When I have lost all else, when my eyes fail me And the taste of blood fills my mouth, then In the pounding of my heart I hear the glory of creation… You have grieved as I have. You, who made worlds out of nothing. We are alike in sorrow, sculptor and clay, Comforting each other in our art… Do not grieve for me, Maker of All. Though all others may forget You, Your name is etched into my every step. I will not forsake You, even if I forget myself… Maker, though the darkness comes upon me, I shall embrace the Light. I shall weather the storm. I shall endure. What you have created, no one can tear asunder… Who knows me as You do? You have been there since before my first breath. You have seen me when no other would recognize my face. You composed the cadence of my heart… Through blinding mist, I climb A sheer cliff, the summit shrouded in fog, the base Endlessly far beneath my feet The Maker is the rock to which I cling… I cannot see the path. Perhaps there is only abyss. Trembling, I step forward, In darkness enveloped… Though all before me is shadow, Yet shall the Maker be my guide. I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Beyond. For there is no darkness in the Maker's Light And nothing that He has wrought shall be lost… I am not alone. Even As I stumble on the path With my eyes closed, yet I see The Light is here… Draw your last breath, my friends. Cross the Veil and the Fade and all the stars in the sky. Rest at the Maker's right hand, And be Forgiven.’”

As Cassandra finishes the prayers, a single tear rolls down her face, but she quickly wipes it away and takes a deep breath to recompose herself.

“I promise, Reggie; I will find who did this and bring them to justice,” she tells Galyan’s body. “You have my word.”

She stays there for nearly another half hour, and would have stayed longer, if not for Leliana coming in and telling her it’s time.

The service is short and sweet. A few prayers are said before the pyre is lit. Cassandra had asked to have Galyan’s body be burned separately so she could gather his ashes, and Leliana got it arranged.

What Cassandra _doesn’t_ know yet, is that a particular nug saw all of this, and will soon help bring her some insight and closure.

**Author's Note:**

> The two Chant of Light verses are ones for the mourning. This first one is Transfigurations 10:1; a chant for the departed, and the second one is Trials 1; prayers for the despairing. They can be found via these two links:   
> https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_A_Chant_for_the_Departed  
> https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Chant_of_Light_verses#Canticle_of_Trials
> 
> If you haven't guessed, the nug is Marcall from This Shit is Weird. If you haven't read that fic, Marcall is a Fade-Touched nug with Galyan's spirit in him. 
> 
> As always, thank you everyone for reading/bookmarking this, as well as for leaving comments/kudos! Y'all are the best! Maker and Creators guide you all! Stay safe during this pandemic!


End file.
